Improvement in bee-hives



m WILLIAM P. sHonTmDeE,

improvement in Bee- Hives.

` I Patented Sep,`l2,l87.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IMPROVEMENT IN BEE-HIVES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 118,822, datedSeptember 12, 1871.

To ail whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM P. SHORTRLDGE, of Easton, in the county ofBuchanan and State of Missouri, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Bee-Hives, of which the following' is a specication:

My invention consists in the construction of the lower part of abee-hive in such a manner that moth-flies or millers cannot possiblyenter the comb-chamber, as hereinafter more fully described.

In the drawing, Figure l is a longitudinal vertical section through myimproved bee-hive in line ww, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a front elevation, andFig. 3 an under-side or bottom view ofthe same.

A is the comb-chamber of my improved hive,

A in which the comb-frames B are suitably suspended. O is the bottom ofthis chamber, which inclines downwardly from the rear to the front andforms, with the bottom D of the hive, a second chamber, E, having aninclined root'. The bottom C of chamber A extends forwardly beyond thebottom D, which latter is chamfered oif at its forward upper edge toform an opening, d, on the under side of the hive. On its forward uppersurface the bottom O is recessed so as to form steps c c', from thelatter of which tubes F extend backwardly and downwardly into thechamber E, while they are covered by a metal plate, G, which extendsforwardly from step c to very near the opening h of the spout H, whichlatter is formed by the bottom C, the side pieces I, and the cover J. Kis a cover over the spout H and suitably attached to the same, having alighting-board, L, at its mouth, lc. On the upper side of bottom C, atits front edge, is secured a downwardly-projecting piece, G, whichserves to prevent the millers or moths from crawling up on the inclinedbottom C. The lighting-board L partially covers the opening d, leavingonly one opening', d', on each side of the cover on the under side ofthe hive. M is the usual slide over a glass window through which toobserve the interior of the comb-chamber A. A pan, O, iilled with thinmolasses, is placed in the chamber E. The comb-frames B and thecomb-chamber A are covered by a division-plate, I), provided withopenings p which extend across the frames B, and thus affordcommunication between each of the spaces between the comb-frames and thehoneyboxes R, which rest on the division-plate I), and

are covered by the top S, which latter closes the entire upper part ofthe hive.

The millers or moth-flies have no way to enter the hive except throughthe openings d on each side of the spout H, or over the lighting-boardL. In either case they pass under the piece N, into the chamber E, andinto the pan O, filled with molasses, and there find their destruction.If they try to effect their entrance on the lighting-board, which isalso the entrance for the bees, the latter will repel them from thisboard, or the millers will escape through the opening d into the chamberE. Should, however, any of the moth-flies penetrate further up the spoutover the piece G, they will again meet a strong colony of bees on aninclined plane, which will either force them out of the spout again, orthey will be driven into the space under the metal plate G, from whichplace they are driven through tubes F into the chamber E andmolasses-pan O; so that no matter how they enter the spout, they mustget into the chamber E. This chamber is provided with a sliding door, c,at the rear, through which the pan and flies may be taken out and thechamber cleaned. There are four entrances to the chamber E, viz.: thetwo openings d on each side ofthe spout H; the opening d under thebottom O; and the tubes F under the metal plate G; and thus moth-diesare certainly destroyed through whichever opening they may enter, asthey invariably must enter the chamber E, and cannot thus deposit theireggs anywhere in the hive.

When it is desired to introduce bees in such hive, the cover K ofthespout may be removed; and in the same manner access can be had to thetubes F for the purpose of cleaning them.

One of the great advantages of my improvement is that it can be readilyattached to any square bee-hives now in use, as the inclined additionalbottom O forms the principal part of the same. The lower end of thecomb-frames must, of course, be cut down or altered to coliform to theinclination ofthe bottom C. The spout-cover K, with its lighting-boardL, can, of course, be made in one piece, so that the attachment of myimprovement to any old square hive will require but very little labor ortrouble.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The openings d d', leading to the chamber E, when. formed by theinclined bottom C, the with its steps c c', hive-bottoni D, chamber E,hive-bottom D, and the spout-cover K, substantubes F, metal plate G,covers J and K, the lattiall5T as described. ter provided With thelighting-board L, openings 2. The detachable cover K, provided with a dd', and pan O, all arranged to operate substanlighting-board, L, incombination with the indetially as described.

pendent inclined bottom C, to form the several WILLIAM P. SHORTRIDGE.channels of ingress or egress, and arranged to be attached to any commonsquare bee-hive, sub- Witnesses:

stantially as described. WILLIAM F. FoRBIs,

3. The arrangement of the inclined bottom C JAMES B. LEFTWICH. (7.)

